The Federal Trade Commission and 46 states are suing Facebook, claiming the social media company is maintaining a social networking monopoly. The FTC is recommending Facebook to divest its assets, including Instagram and WhatsApp. In a press release, the FTC claims Facebook is a social network monopoly “through a years-long course of anticompetitive conduct.” The investigation by the FTC, 46 states, and Guam, claim moves like the 2012 acquisition of Instagram, and the 2014 acquisition of WhatsApp created anti-competitive conditions. The FTC is looking to receive a permanent injunction in federal court that “could, among other things: require divestiture of assets, including Instagram and WhatsApp; prohibit Facebook from imposing anticompetitive conditions on software developers; and require Facebook to seek prior notice and approval for future mergers and acquisitions.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/03/26/facebook-is-being-investigated-by-the-ftc"] In the same statement, FTC’s bureau of competition director Ian Conner says, “Facebook’s actions to entrench and maintain its monopoly deny consumers the benefits of competition. Our aim is to roll back Facebook’s anticompetitive conduct and restore competition so that innovation and free competition can thrive.”

The FTC began investigating Facebook in 2018 over consumer privacy concerns, but the social media company has been in the spotlight of the government for years now. Concerns over data privacy, its effects on the U.S. and other elections worldwide, and information safety have all put eyes on Facebook.

In response, Facebook’s vice president and general counsel Jennifer Newstead calls the suit “revisionist history.” “Antitrust laws exist to protect consumers and promote innovation, not to punish successful businesses. Instagram and WhatsApp became the incredible products they are today because Facebook invested billions of dollars, and years of innovation and expertise, to develop new features and better experiences for the millions who enjoy those products,” says Newstead. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time followed up one beloved mascot platformer's original trilogy (and its recent remakes) with a great new sequel. And based on the art book for Crash 4, Activision may be teasing that it's prepping to do the same for Spyro the Dragon. In the newly released The Art of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time from Crash 4 and Spyro Reignited Trilogy devs Toys for Bob, a host of concept art, character designs, and more showcase the work the team did to modernize the bandicoot. But on one particular page, a hint at Spyro could potentially be teasing a similar Spyro 4 treatment may be on the way. Or we're just really reading into a sign. (H/T to @SpyroUniverse on Twitter for first tipping us off to the tease, originally spotted by @CrashyNews.) [caption id="attachment_2449790" align="alignnone" width="720"] From The Art of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2449791" align="alignnone" width="720"] A close-up of the potential Spyro 4 tease in The Art of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time[/caption] In a two-page spread featuring art from The SN@XX Dimension level and Frank's Plump Wieners Kioskbot, a large splash page of concept art includes a Spyro marquee nestled in amongst the futuristic cityscape. Right below him is his name and what appears to be most of the number "4" right below that. The accompanying text on the page by artist Brun Coes says "It was fun to combine Dingo's Diner with the futuristic element, to have those cars flying with the city down below... and a little hint at Spyro." Activision had no comment on the future of Spyro in relation to the potential tease, but IGN has verified the page in the art book itself. No plans for a continuation of the Spyro franchise have been announced, but developer Toys for Bob, from which the art book stems, also developed the Reignited Trilogy and has long shephered Spyro during Activision's ownership of the property, having previously developed the Skylanders franchise. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/01/crash-bandicoot-4-its-about-time-review"] As for now, there's no other word on a Spyro continuation, but given Activision's recent interest in reviving both his and Crash's franchises, the purple dragon may have the chance to return beyond Easter eggs in Crash 4. The Art of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is currently available on Amazon and features a ton of artwork and insight into the creation of Crash Bandicoot 4 from artists and other Toys for Bob team members, with writer Micky Neilson and a foreword by Josh Nadelberg. The studio also released The Art of Spyro Reignited Trilogy earlier this year. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-art-of-spyro-reignited-trilogy&captions=true"] For more on Toys for Bob's latest work, check out both our Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time review and our Spyro Reignited Trilogy review. And be sure to watch the Crash 4 developers react to a speedrun, and check out our Crash 4 wiki guide if you're aiming to 100% it! [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Avengers writer Jason Aaron has been busy rewriting the history of the Marvel Universe, with the series dropping bombshells like Odin leading a team of prehistoric Avengers and Mephisto being the secret hand guiding countless acts of villainy throughout the eons. And now the series is at it again, revealing the X-Men are much, much older than we realized. Keep reading to learn the secret history of mutants in the Marvel U., but beware of full spoilers for The Avengers #39 ahead! [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-avengers-39-preview-lady-phoenixs-origin-revealed&captions=true"] Issue #39 acts as a prelude to Aaron's next major story arc, which will reveal the next Marvel character destined (cursed?) to become the host for the Phoenix Force. This chapter provides an origin story for Lady Phoenix, the very first Earthling to bond with the Phoenix and a member of Odin's Avengers of 1,000,000 BC. Lady Phoenix's life has been marked by tragedy from day one. Because of her fiery red hair, her parents left her for dead in a sacrificial pit known as "the burnt place." However, she was rescued and raised by wolves until the day she encountered a telepathic mutant. This mutant, a Professor X-like figure Lady Phoenix eventually comes to know as Highwalker, gathers other genetic outcasts and teaches them to use their special gifts to defend prehistoric mankind. They don't call themselves the X-Men, but rather the Tribe Without Fear. [caption id="attachment_2449725" align="aligncenter" width="929"] Art by Dale Keown. (Image Credit: Marvel)[/caption] Traditionally, Marvel has depicted mutants as being a much more recent phenomenon, with the oldest mutants like Apocalypse and Selene measuring their lifespans in thousands of years rather than millions. But now we know mutants have been around basically as long as mankind, even before the rise of Homo sapiens. As you might expect, early man is no more tolerant of these proto-mutants than modern man is of the X-Men. A rival tribe attacks Highwalker, who attempts to respond with compassion and reason. But after being distracted by Lady Phoenix, Highwalker is mortally wounded by a spear and the two tribes proceed to slaughter one another. A grieving Lady Phoenix returns to the burnt place hoping to finally die. Instead, the Phoenix is attracted to her psychic outburst and claims its first host. While briefly consumed with the desire to extinguish all life on Earth, Lady Phoenix regains control after seeing one of her wolf companions. She instead decides to continue Highwalker's mission of defending the planet and begins recruiting a team. Her first ally? None other than Odin, proving that it wasn't the Allfather who originally formed the Avengers after all. [caption id="attachment_244972" align="aligncenter" width="926"] Art by Dale Keown. (Image Credit: Marvel)[/caption] It's interesting to note the many similarities between Lady Phoenix's origin and that of Wolverine, including her kinship with wolves and her habit of outliving her loved ones. With Aaron depicting Wolverine as the final host of the Phoenix in the far future, we can't help but wonder if Logan might turn out to be a distant descendant of Lady Phoenix. It would certainly explain his fascination with redheads... This is just the latest new wrinkle for the X-Men franchise, which kicked off a bold new status quo in 2019's House of X and Powers of X. Recently, Marvel has shown the tragic secret behind Apocalypse's villainy and revealed one of the world's most powerful mutants isn't actually a mutant at all. Will this latest history-changing twist impact the rest of the X-Men line? Perhaps we'll get a better sense of that once "Enter the Phoenix" begins in The Avengers #40, due out on December 30. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/09/marvels-x-men-now-have-a-bold-new-status-quo-ign-now"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

A new generation of gaming has arrived, and one of the most anticipated games of the decade is finally here, so your friends Run The Jewels want to help you celebrate by giving away an Xbox Series X, Cyberpunk 2077, and some awesome Run The Jewels swag. IGN is proud to present a Run The Jewels x Cyberpunk 2077 giveaway. Just fill out this competition form for a chance to be entered and be the lucky winner of: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=run-the-jewels-and-cyberpunk-2077-giveaway-items&captions=true"]

• An Xbox Series X
• A copy of Cyberpunk 2077 for Xbox
• a Run The Jewels hoodies
• a Run The Jewels T-shirt
• a copy of RTJ4 on 2x LP vinyl
• a Run The Jewels Mug

The contest will run between now and Monday, December 14 at 10 am PT, so enter now for a chance to win. One lucky winner will be chosen on December 14 and notified by email. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/07/cyberpunk-2077-review"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Competition is available only to U.S. residents aged 18 years or older. Check out the full rules of the sweepstakes here.

Update (12/13/20) - Insomniac Games has released the 1.002 update for Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered on PS5 and it also brings a 60fps ray tracing mode to the game. Original story follows. [poilib element="accentDivider"] A new update for Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales brings a 60fps ray tracing mode to the game on PlayStation 5. Before today's update, which is already live, PS5 players had to choose between a resolution mode and a performance mode. The resolution mode featured 4K visuals with ray tracing while the performance mode dropped ray tracing in favor of a steady 60fps. Players can now have the best of both modes with the new "Performance RT" mode that features both 60fps and ray tracing.

Our new update overnight introduced Performance RT mode on PS5. 60fps and ray-tracing! https://t.co/SSRy9vq9Aw

— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) December 9, 2020

This new mode adjusts scene resolution, reflection quality, and pedestrian density in order to achieve ray tracing at 60fps, according to the in-game description of the mode. The word "adjusts" in this description presumably means "lower." While this might be noticeable to some players, Miles Morales is so fast-paced, especially while swinging through New York City, that you'll likely see the benefits of 60fps and ray tracing more so than the lower quality reflections and more minimal pedestrian count. The update is already live and weighs in at roughly 262MB. Once you've got the update downloaded and installed, restart Miles Morales and then head to the visual settings in the game's main menu to select the new Performance RT mode. Like with the previous two modes, you can also switch between this new mode and the game's resolution mode from the start menu while playing the game. This news comes the same day that PlayStation announced that Miles Morales was the number one game at the top of the PS Store's first-ever PS5 downloads chart. Miles Morales beat out other November titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, PS5-exclusive Demon's Souls, and Assassin's Creed Valhalla. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/11/the-first-22-minutes-of-spider-man-miles-morales-on-ps5"] For more of the game, check out the official Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales vinyl soundtrack announced yesterday and then read the official IGN Miles Morales review after that. For a look at how the game looks on PS5, PS4 Pro, and PS4, check out IGN's Miles Morales performance review video. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. He is sad this update came after he already obtained the game's platinum trophy. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

A True Blood reboot is reportedly in early development at HBO, with Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa set as an executive producer. According to TVLine, Aguirre-Sacasa is expected to co-write the series pilot with Jami O'Brien, who also joins the project as an executive producer alongside original series creator and five-season showrunner Alan Ball. At this time, however, HBO has not made any official announcements about the rumoured new iteration of the fantasy drama series. The original True Blood series, based on the novel series Southern Vampire by Charlaine Harris, aired between 2008-2014 and comprised of seven seasons and 80 episodes in total. Anna Paquin starred as telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who found comfort in the company of vampires. The show also starred Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgård, Joe Manganiello, and Sam Trammell, amongst others. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2014/03/20/joe-manganiello-on-the-end-of-true-blood"] In our review of the season finale, we noted that the episode provided "an amusing final few minutes" despite "an abundance of slow-roasted idiocy." We acknowledged that "everyone wound up happy and/or successful" in the show's closing moments, even though we didn't necessarily agree with all of the characters' final fates. If you want to know more about the show's final episode, read the full review HERE or check out our thoughts on Season 7 as a whole. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-15-best-horror-tv-shows-of-the-last-10-years&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

The CW has revealed Tyler Hoechlin's new Superman suit in the upcoming Arrowverse spinoff Superman & Lois. Revealed on Twitter, this new Superman suit will make its debut when Superman & Lois premieres on The CW on Tuesday, February 23, 2021. This new suit was teased earlier this year at a panel at DC FanDome: Enter the Multiverse, and executive producer Todd Helbing described the suit as "really badass." With the cape attached to the collar, it features a more classically comic book-y look than the more Injustice-style approach that was previously used, and is also somewhat reminiscent of Superman's look in 2017's DC Rebirth. The texturing also seems to be inspired by the DCEU version of Superman.

“I find that the new suit is representative of the show," Superman actor Tyler Hoechlin said. "Just as this suit is unique and set apart from the ones that preceded it, the story we’re telling about Clark/Superman at this point in his life is unique and something we’ve never seen before. I appreciate the opportunity to wear the suit and the responsibility that comes with it. But it’s always interesting when I’m asked how I feel about “my new suit,” because I’ve always felt that the suit doesn’t belong to me; it belongs to everyone that finds some kind of meaning in that suit, in the symbol on the chest. I just happen to be the one wearing it. I come from the world of baseball and a line of coaches that always preached that the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the one on the back. Because when you wear that jersey, it represents not only you, but your entire team, and everyone that has ever worn that jersey that came before you. So when I wear the suit, that’s what it means to me. It represents everything that Superman stands for and has stood for, for almost a century now. And I look forward to carrying on that tradition.”

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=crisis-on-infinite-earths-aftermath-all-the-ways-the-arrowverse-has-changed&captions=true"] This new suit was designed by Laura Jean Shannon and her Supersuits team alongside Creative Character Engineering and "both harkens back to the Superman we all grew up with while grounding him and elevating the suit in a modern arena with updated techniques and applications." “We got Superman into some custom athletic inspired Super-Boots as a ‘jumping off point’ and focused on a new neckline and cape to maximize the billowing and movement we all love to see in the books and films that have defined this character for generations," Shannon said. "A streamlined muscle structure and updated paint job combined with some dynamic design lines and a sculpted armored belt all took his established custom fabric into a new direction to solidify the new look for Superman in Superman & Lois.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/28/superman-and-lois-tv-show-in-the-works-at-the-cw-ign-now"] Superman & Lois, when it debuts early next year, will tell a more grounded Superman story and will focus on a married Clark Kent and Lois Lane, as well as their two teenage sons. The family moved to Smallville after a "tragic" event that has yet to be unveiled, and will feature a mixture of family drama and epic action. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Ben Affleck and Geoff Johns' The Batman is one of many DC movies that never materialized, but now we have a better idea of the plot and tone of their version. In a new interview with Yahoo, actor Joe Manganiello sheds new light on Deathstroke and explains how the film would have dealt with Slade Wilson's plot to systematically destroy Bruce Wayne. According to Manganiello, that version of The Batman was reminiscent of David Fincher's 1997 film The Game, with Affleck's Batman basically filling the same role as Michael Douglas' beleaguered main character. In the Johns/Affleck script, Deathstroke launches a multipronged assault on Bruce Wayne's life, destroying his public reputation and his ability to fight crime. Manganiello also notes similarities to Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's graphic novel Daredevil: Born Again, which deals with Kingpin systematically destroying every piece of Matt Murdock's life. “It was a really dark story in which Deathstroke was like a shark or a horror movie villain that was dismantling Bruce’s life from the inside out," Manganiello told Yahoo. "It was this systemic thing: He killed everyone close to Bruce and destroyed his life to try and make him suffer because he felt that Bruce was responsible for something that happened to him.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dc-extended-universe-every-upcoming-movie&captions=true"] Manganiello doesn't reveal why Deathstroke has such a personal grudge against Batman in this story. Given that Deathstroke tends to direct his wrath toward Robin in the comics and other adaptations like DC Universe's Titans, it may have something to do with the murky history between Batman and his ex-sidekick in the DCEU. It's also not a stretch to assume that vendetta has something to do with Slade's children. Manganiello also reveals his post-credits cameo in 2017's Justice League was originally meant to set the stage for The Batman, not Justice League 2. As he explains, actor Jesse Eisenberg later reshot his material with altered dialogue, transforming a scene wherein Lex Luthor is helping Deathstroke plot against Batman to one where Deathstroke becomes the first recruit in Luthor's Injustice League. “I thought that scene was gone, but [producer] Jon Berg called me up and said, ‘We’ve reworked the scene and put it back in,’” Manganiello says. “I was as surprised as anybody!" Manganiello recently participated in reshoots for The Snyder Cut of Justice League, and Jared Leto also reprised his role as Joker. This seems to suggest Snyder is working to restore and expand his version of that post-credits scene and tee up a Batman vs. Deathstroke and Joker storyline. Whether that setup is followed up in a future DC project remains to be seen. Regardless, Manganiello is clearly excited to reprise the Deathstroke role, however briefly, and bring new layers to the character. The actor even notes Deathstroke's new hairdo has a specific story significance. “The greatest warriors are the ones who walk into battle already dead or assuming that they’re going to die — they’re looking for someone who could actually kill them," says Manganiello. "There’s almost an excitement around that, like ‘Is today going to be the day?’ So there was a climatic moment in my standalone story where I wanted Slade to shave his head into this war-like Mohawk knowing that he was going off to his own death. I said to Zack, ‘I always envisioned him with a big white Mohawk,’ and he was totally down for it.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/21/the-true-story-behind-the-snyder-cut"] While Affleck's version of The Batman will probably never happen, the movie lives on in a new form. Director Matt Reeves has taken the reins of the The Batman, which is now a reboot starring Robert Pattinson as a younger Batman, Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Colin Farrell as The Penguin and Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon. Affleck himself is expected to play Batman at least once more as part of 2022's The Flash. The release date for The Batman was recently pushed back to 2022 as the movie industry continues adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic. The movie is also getting an HBO Max-exclusive prequel series called Gotham PD. For more on The Batman check out everything we know about the upcoming gritty reboot and why The Batman will be darker than any of its predecessors. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Nicolas Cage is hosting a new six-episode comedy series for Netflix that will examine the origins, pop culture-usage, science, and cultural impacts of swear words, such as f**k, s**t, and d**k. Netflix Is A Joke, the streaming giant's comedy sandbox, tweeted a clip from the new series on Tuesday, which positions the Oscar-winning actor in front of an art canvas, as he poetically discusses the first word on his agenda in his education in expletives (AKA the history lesson you never knew you needed). "It is a thing of great wonder and mystery, quivering with complexity, strength, and resilience. However also, buried within, a delicate femininity and, dare I say, naughtiness," Cage declares while painting the canvas. "And a term for that kid too afraid to play dodgeball in gym class... it also can be a cat."

Watch till the end to see what Nicolas Cage is talking about. History of Swear Words, hosted by national treasure Nic himself, premieres January 5th! pic.twitter.com/3Q2Iotm996

— Netflix Is A Joke (@NetflixIsAJoke) December 9, 2020

The Hollywood Reporter notes that the 20-minute episodes will also feature a roster of celebrity guests, including Joel Kim Booster, DeRay Davis, Open Mike Eagle, Nikki Glaser, Patti Harrison, London Hughes, Jim Jefferies, Zainab Johnson, Nick Offerman, Sarah Silverman, Baron Vaughn, and Isiah Whitlock Jr, together with several experts from the cognitive and linguistic science fields. The History of Swear Words will premiere on Netflix on January 5, ahead of Cage's other upcoming streaming projects. Following the release of this loud and proudly profane series, Cage will star as Tiger King's Joe Exotic in a new scripted series that is headed to Amazon Prime Video and he will also be voicing the hard-drinking southern swamp dragon in Amazon's Highfire series adaptation. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-comedies-on-netflix-right-now&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.